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Now that the group has found out the dragon was evil, and he was going to use the book to raise up Asmodeus on his own. Trask has decided the group needs to hide the book until they can figure out what to do with it!

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I cannot believe that Thor has left me, but the mighty hammer I was bestowed with has left much to be desired! I no longer feel Thor's might flowing through me as I did before my strange separation from the group. What has happened to rob me of my prowess in battle. Even Galvin is felling foes that thwart me swing after swing, and with staff not magic! My spells are still working as well as ever. Perhaps I need to think on this more and then spend some time praying to Thor for guidance. I will speak of this with Corbin I think. He as devout a man as ever I have met and his mace does bring justice to those who have strayed from good.

Enough of this! We journey on and find ourselves walking in the footsteps of our prey. I can practically smell Trask! He and his kinsman must be close, but this place is treacherous. We were nearly wiped out to the man by a large cube of gel that slithered to engulf men and digest them slowly. I managed to hold my own in battle early on, but inevitably my arms weakened and I found myself drawn within the quivering nightmare to lose consciousness. If not for the healing magic of my companions I would have been lost.

I am normally not one to shirk my duty to the party, but I could not bring myself to stand a watch that night. Thor knows I needed the healing rest, but my confidence was damaged nearly as much as my blistered flesh. I could not risk the lives of my friends by failing them on a watch.

Over the course of the next day we encountered pit traps, diabolic altars, Malformed flipper fingered worshipers of the demon and even a short lived encounter with a man made of slime. Of course during that last encounter my hammer struck true as I reacted to the surprise of the man forming out of the puddle. He had the look of a priest, and made no move to attack, but I could not halt the swing before striking him down. We will never know if I quickly dispatched a foe, or struck down an innocent. I pray for a quick end to this dark cave and a storm to cleanse my spirit in.

I sprung awake to find the village had burned around us. while trying to make sense of what had happened I saw a man and a dwarf approaching. I shouted for my companions to ready for trouble, but Corbin calmed me with a gesture. "This is Irwin, an old friend." he explained.

We were in turn introduced to Barain, kin to Trask and his brother. "Wait, where is Trask?" I asked. We soon found a note from Trask explaining that he felt he could no longer trust us and had set off with the Book. He also said that he had accidentally started the fire that decimated the village.

The elder of the village gave Galvin a jewel he called the Orb of Omens and told him it would aid us. Sadly he passed away in the night from his injuries. Trask has much to answer for.

Not knowing what else to do we decided to give chase to the Girdlerenders. Their tracks lead us to the forest, which quickly thickened so much we had to hack our way through the branches to make any headway.

After an interminable period of scratches and snagged clothing, we came upon an ugly totem with spiders carved into it. Though it looked to be evil we decided to leave it be.

When we could travel no more, we encamped for a night's rest. No sooner had darkness fallen than we were set upon by a hoard of spiders. The battle was fierce and just as we thought we had won the day, we all found ourselves waking as if from a nightmare and covered with small spiders! The cacophony of screams of disgust from Galvin will haunt me for some time to come.

Believing that the idol had something to do with this, we returned to its location. As we knocked it down a very large spider, this one all too real, appeared and attacked. This battle went far better as we could focus our attacks on a single foe.

Delfin Slighthand let out a loud gasp of pain and surprise, causing the rest of the party to stare in his direction. The elf was clasping one hand in another, with blood dripping out of his fist as the thief stared down at a small object on the ground. He reached down and picked up the object and showed it to the rest of us: a finger, one of his Corbin guessed based on the grimace on his face. At the base of the finger was a large gold ring, apparently one ensorcelled to teach one such as Delfin the lesson of taking property belonging to another.

The cleric of St. Cuthbert frowned sternly at Delfin, but eventually cast a healing spell as the finger was held in place, reattaching the severed member. The grimace remained on Corbin's face long after he had finished his work as he thought about the company he kept and what his old masters would think of those he'd now tied his fate to.

The cleric still felt the the anxiety he'd always felt as an acolyte under the stern and ever-vigilant eye of Master Kirdle with eyes what could freeze flame. Still, the lectures and gaze were less painful than the corporeal lessons in discipline. Corbin could still hear him warning about keeping careful company: "To know the man, know his companions. You can always trace a backsliders descent into sin and chaos back to others who first fell into disorder."

Corbin looked at his companions through Master Kirdle's unblinking gray eyes and saw a thief, rowdy fighters, a mage who had fallen under the influence of an evil magic item, leaving only a stout cleric of Thor and a trustworthy paladin coming closest to the dedication required of followers of St. Cuthbert.

However, the cleric found that he couldn't judge his fellows as harshly as his old Master required. Instead of a thief, he saw an elf who had been willing to put himself in danger time and time again to aid the party with his scouting and stealth. Galvin the Arcanist had faced danger despite his lack of martial skill and fear of spiders in an effort to destroy the evil Book of Sorrows. The fighters had willingly stood between agents of evil and their teammates, taking courage from the companionship of a shared holy task.

Corbin was very hesitant to suggest that Master Kirdle's rules were too rigid and knew that he would later need to kneel on some rice grains to pay for this blasphemy. While his companions might not be able to sustain the discipline of a follower of St. Cuthbert, they were worthy of the cleric's friendship and respect, no matter how many fingers they lost in the process.

This circlet has opened my mind considerably. I can now remember that part of my past that has been closed away for so long.

It was my first week as an apprentice with Silverwind that we were hired by the priest to clean the belfry. This task was too menial for my great master, so he ordered me to scale the tower walls. This was a seemingly impossible task as the tower walls were sheer indeed. When I expressed my doubt to old wizard, he just laughed.

"Nothing is impossible for one trained in the ancient arts of MAGIC..." he exclaimed, and before I knew it he forced a large living spider down my throat. He said the proper words and I was soon able to climb the wall with ease. However, I could never stand to be near a spider again!

My eyes slide open to peer up at the dense canopy of leaves. Stars glitter in the distance above. I have a body, a form. For some reason that feels odd. The loam of a forest floor lies beneath me. How did I get here?

"Awake, we are attacked!"

Someone is in trouble. I lurch to my feet and glance at my belongings. Everything seems to be where it belongs. Except me. Where are my companions? That must be them yelling from deeper into the forest. I make my way forward. Soon I come upon a group of adventurers lying in seeming slumber as one of their number fends off a few tiny humanoid reptiles that seem intent on making off with their pound of flesh. I do not recognize this man, but there sleeping nearby, that looks much like Galvin. With hammer in hand I dash from the cover of the underbrush, intent on driving the small beasts away.

That is how I came to re-join the companions in search of the Book of Sorrows. After driving the reptilian scoundrels from their attack I was met by Galvin and the others. Some new faces have joined, and old faces are not to be found. Galvin looked a bit more traveled. I still don't know just how long I have been away, but it has been long enough for Trask to betray the group and make off with the Book. I can hardly believe that they had the Book let alone that the treacherous dwarf had so recently stolen the item that had drawn us all together. Galvin explained everything around the fire that night as the rest returned to their slumber.

As dawn came upon us we decided to follow a device Galvin had come to possess that flickers and glows as we travel closer to Trask and the Book. It led us to a gloomy cave with foul smoke wafting from the entrance. We had no other choice than to enter and see if the Book lie within. No book did we find, rather grossly deformed human like creatures with flesh that sears to the touch. Several battles were fought and won, but not without significant injury to us. We did discover several items of magic that seemed well suited to Galvin, though a couple of others also found use for an item or two. We now rest in a camp made by our enemies before the departed this world for the next. We know not what tomorrow will bring, except that it will bring us closer to putting an end to the evil of the Book of Sorrows.